Unaccounted For
by Hikagi
Summary: A "lost files" record of SPR's strange encounters with even stranger people. #4: YYH. Masako knows she cannot just "turn off" her gift, especially when there is a perfectly normal person in the park who also happens to be perfectly possessed.
1. April's Fool

Teaser: You couldn't say that she believed in destiny (because really, who wanted to believe that your entire life was dictated from the very start?), but sometimes things – weird, strange things – happened that seemed to be a little more than mere chance.

Notes: "Unaccounted For" is a collection of crossover shots and short stories. These cases are supposedly unrecorded, which is why I am starting with the first number, and not 9 or such. All entries will be based off the anime – I haven't had the chance to read the manga yet. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunt. I also do not own any of the other series featured here.

* * *

_It isn't uncommon for an office to lose a few folders at least once. _

_Here are a few of the cases that the SPR has come across that will forever remain… _

**Unaccounted For**

FILE 1

"April's Fool" # 1

By Hikagi

* * *

Mai gently blew steam from her cup of tea as she lazed comfortably in one of the sofas in the lounge. It wasn't like she had anything better to do, after all. Business had been a little slow the past week, and Naru had been his usual insufferable self during the hours she was at the office.

She took a glance at the calendar, and then at the clock above it.

March 31st. Today had been the last day of school and tomorrow started the beginning of another year. Being a freshman, she didn't really feel that it was anything significant, except that it meant that she was no longer a first year (the idea that she would no longer be an underdog seemed somewhat appealing – imagine that!). Yet at the same time, she wondered if she would be thinking the same a few years from now when she'd be graduating.

Graduating… That seemed like such a foreign concept, especially when things seemed to be going along so well. But this time of the year was full of changes – of meetings and departures, and a slew of other things too.

But it also meant that she had to remember to change the calendar on her way out.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought her attention back around.

"Mai?" Naru called, standing in the doorway of his private office. "We have a case tomorrow. See if you'd be able to get out of school."

"Um, sure!"

But he didn't even wait for her confirmation and slammed the door after delivering the message. Mai silently fumed, wondering how she'd ever developed feelings for the paranormal researcher.

_'That… that… that arrogant jerk!' _

* * *

The next day, Mai found herself seated in front of a middle-aged superintendent who explained that he was afraid of supernatural occurrences in the high school he was overseeing.

At first, it hadn't been too serious. Rain in the middle of a dry season. The school pool mysteriously drying up. Little things that happened every so often that would start up the usual rumors.

No one had really paid much attention to those things.

But then again, no one had really gotten hurt in the process either.

As soon as they had dismissed the pool incident as a leak in the sealing or a plumbing problem, something happened. A very promising teaching assistant had gone missing by the end of the week, and police searches for the young woman had yielded no results.

The staff had been worried because they had all seen her at school that day. But some time during her break, she had simply vanished into thin air, leaving behind only her cell phone.

They could have written it off as a kidnapping or a runaway, but the next notable event happened shortly afterwards. One of the students had started acting very strangely and was reported to have openly assaulted a number of individuals. Authorities didn't know what to make of it, especially when the student's personality took a sudden dive and just about fizzled away. Hospital reports later stated that it was as if the patient had lost their mind.

The school board had been willing to accept that these cases were not at all related until the last, and most recent, incident occurred.

A student had fallen from the second story. Luckily, he had survived despite the fall and broken glass.

It seemed that someone had pushed him against the windows and they had given out under the strain. But there was no glass in the corridors to indicate that the windows had cracked, which hinted that the panels fell out (and that was a near impossibility because they had made _sure_ such things couldn't happen while the school was being built). And witnesses had repeatedly stated that the closest person had been more than an arm's distance away.

Mai shivered when she heard these descriptions. It was beginning to sound a lot like Yasuhara-san's school, and she only hoped that there wasn't some evil spirit (or spirits) lurking about.

The fact that Angel-san had been very popular not too long ago in the area had been no comfort at all.

"We understand," Naru said after the superintendent was done going over the case specifics. "If you would allow, I'd like to get started right away."

"Ah, yes. I've prepared a room just as you had requested."

* * *

In the end, it was just like all of the other times they went to investigate cases that were located at schools. Students were called up to present information that might be pertinent and were interviewed individually (or in a group, depending on the situation), without the presence of a staff member for confidential reasons.

The one thing that Mai liked about this school was that they had placed a sign-up chart so that there wasn't a line of students waiting or a long period of inactivity. It made her job that much easier as Naru asked questions and Lin-san typed away on his laptop.

None of the individuals, however, really stood out in her mind. There had been one girl who hinted that the strange events might have been connected, but she didn't really know all the details herself. Mai had a feeling that she knew more than she let on, but no one pressed the issue.

Their current interviewee was the captain of the archery club. Not too bad-looking, and he seemed like an okay guy in general. But he didn't talk much either, and Mai's nerves were starting to wear thin after all the information they had (or hadn't) been able to gather.

Naru finally dismissed him after half an hour. "If you would send the next person in…"

The student nodded and rose from his seat. Mai took the time to check the next person's name and frowned.

Weird. Someone had accidentally written down today's date in the name slot.

She gave a shrug. Oh well. They would find out soon enough.

"Hello," a cautious voice called out as the archer-guy exited the room and someone else stepped in. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Watanuki Kimihiro."

Mai noticed when the air suddenly _changed_, for lack of a better word. It was as if there were strange vibes coming from him (_almost_ like what she had felt earlier from Kunogi-san, but in a different way), but she couldn't really be sure. She blinked when she took a good look at his face, though.

Wait a second…

Were his eyes two different colors?

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Uploaded specifically on this day for a various number of reasons. XD

Author's Notes: 

Yikes. A lot of stuff that could go potentially wrong. The timeline is messed up, and there are things that I wanted to include, but didn't get the chance to. Oh well.

How many of you figured out the crossed over series before it was revealed? And for those of you who aren't familiar with it, this chapter co-features xxxHOLiC.

_Yatsuka Hikagi _

_April 1, 2007_


	2. Ghosts! Where!

Teaser: Our next location was a supposedly haunted park in a small town not too far away. But wait, why were there kids roaming around here? And hold on, how do you guys know each other?

Notes: **This is not the continuation of the first file.** Just to let you know… And these cases aren't necessarily in chronological order, as you are about to find out. I update based on what I am able to complete at any given time, and the next chapter of File 1 is not finished yet. So _there_.

Disclaimer: See chapter one. Disclaimers will not appear after this chapter because it's a given.

* * *

_It isn't uncommon for an office to lose a few folders at least once._

_Here are a few of the cases that the SPR has come across that will forever remain…_

**Unaccounted For**

FILE 2

"Ghosts?! Where?!" # 1

By Hikagi

* * *

"You're joking, right?"

Mai stared incredulously at her boss, unwilling to believe what she had just heard. She blinked once, twice – three times before Naru responded with a simple:

"I don't joke."

Mai resisted the urge to go up and strangle the paranormal researcher, reminding herself that murder was a crime and no, Naru wasn't worth going to jail for. At least, not yet.

"You just got out of the hospital _yesterday_," she snapped, wondering why on earth she had had the misfortune of breaking that camera so many months ago. True, many good things happened in the mean time, but it was days like _this one_ that made her regret running into Lin-san, and subsequently, Naru. "You should be taking it easy for a few more days at the least – not running around and investigating every single request that comes our way!"

He barely looked up from his folder as he read the contents of one page and flipped to the next.

"This is our first case this month. And it was a request by a friend of an old acquaintance of Madoka's, so we can't really turn it down."

"A friend of an old acquaintance of your teacher?" Mai frowned. "Isn't that a bit… round-about?"

Naru sighed, and it was then that Mai noticed how _tired_ he looked, despite his efforts to act normal. "It can't be helped. Madoka's already scheduled a meeting for tomorrow and even told the other party that we'd be there."

"Can't you just…" She waved a hand around as a sort of gesture. "I don't know – ask for an extension?"

The paranormal researcher gave her a look that said that that idea was out of the question.

"I doubt that it will be anything terribly important. Madoka only foisted this case off to me because she herself will be out of the region for a few weeks. Besides, one of our oldest patrons lives in the same town, and it would be bad for our reputation if this case went to some other group."

"Hai, hai," she responded with a bored tone, resigned to admitting defeat.

It wasn't like Naru was going to change his mind, anyhow. He was one stubborn, prideful guy, and as much as that irritated her sometimes, it was also endearing in its own way.

How exactly that was, Mai herself wasn't so sure…

Naru's voice brought her wandering attention back around and made her straighten her back with a start.

"Actually, Mai, I…"

He hesitated a little, taking the time to shuffle in his seat and straighten out a few loose sheets of papers on his desk.

"Yes, Naru?"

"…I want some more tea."

She nearly facefaulted, having expected something else entirely.

"Don't say something like that with such a serious expression!"

Of course, she'd never admit what exactly she wanted to hear to his face.

* * *

She was in a good mood today.

"Where are we going this time?"

And He didn't seem too moody either, so all was well with the world.

"To a park."

"A park?"

_'Hey, hey – it better not be anything like our last encounter with a haunted park.'_

He probably knew what she was thinking and answered.

"A different kind than last time. It's an old theme park that was disbanded after unexplainable events caused it to shut down."

Curiosity killed the cat – or so the saying went. Well, it was a good thing that she was a normal girl, right? A rather peculiar_,_ _paranormal_ normal girl…

"What happened?"

"Originally, it was a large mansion that was demolished after the owner moved out. Supposedly, strange things have been happening then too. Some of the locals thought it was haunted."

More questions, because He wasn't giving her the full picture. And the only way to get answers was to continue asking.

"Why?"

And surprisingly enough, He didn't seem to mind so much this time. Maybe it was because everything had been going smoothly so far? She wasn't sure.

"No one lived in that house until a few years ago, when some family overseas bought the place. They only lived there for a year or so before moving back to… either France or England. I don't remember off the top of my head."

"Huh. That's weird."

Not that there had ever been a normal, bland case to begin with.

* * *

They were loading things into the van, when Mai was hit with a sudden thought.

"Hey, Naru never told me where the park was."

Lin was arranging the cameras in the back in such a way so that they wouldn't move during the drive. She would have asked Naru, but the paranormal researcher was up in his office, getting a few last-minute items.

"Some small place," the assistant replied, offhandedly. "Not too many people have heard of it – at least, in comparison to the big cities."

Lin pointed to the open laptop nearby, indicating that she should go take a look.

"I have the directions out. The map is currently on the screen."

Mai approached the portable computer and glanced at the map.

"That place?" she asked, pointing to their destination. "Never been there before. Is there anything special about it?"

Lin shrugged as he finished securing the rest of their fragile equipment. "There are rumors that they have their own share of psychics, but no one has been able to confirm this."

"Really?"

"Most of those rumors were from a few years ago, around the time the old mansion was occupied. They have died down by now, but apparently every once in a while, some of the locals report the sightings of strange creatures."

Naru chose this moment to come down from the office, carrying a small bag and his usual black folder.

"The park is actually quite large," he said as he glanced at the information again. "We'd be hard pressed to cover all the grounds at any given time with just the three of us." He looked up and gave Mai a nod. "See if you can get any of the others to join us."

"Sure," Mai replied. "Do you want me to call them all?"

"If possible."

"Okay."

* * *

"This is our exit. We should be at the place within half an hour."

Mai took a few seconds to enjoy the scenery, noting how peaceful everything seemed from the freeway.

Peaceful. Normal. Calm. Even _boring_.

At times she wished that her life could go back to how it was before she even met Naru and the others.

Too late now.

And as the car veered towards the left, she tried to think of what this town might be like based off of what little information she had been able to gather.

Hmm… Tomoeda, eh? It sounded like it might be a nice place, and it didn't look too bad so far, either. Well, as long as it didn't involve creepy ghosts out for blood, then she was good to go.

Speaking of ghosts…

_'I wonder if this will be anything like last time…'_

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Author's Notes:

CCS crossover this time! The potential makes me giddy, because I can take this case in so many directions. Buwahahahaha!

And as I stated before, these shots are not in any specific order – I merely post according to what my plot bunnies dictate. So the next chapter might be a continuation of the first chapter, or it could be a completely new one. You have been warned.

And reviews are food for the author's soul.

_Yatsuka Hikagi_

_2007.V.02_


	3. Ghosts! Where! 2

Teaser: Our next location was a supposedly haunted park in a small town not too far away. At first, nothing seems wrong. But things are never as they first appear. Weird apparitions have been sighted near its vicinity, and some of the locals have expressed their concerns. And what's a person to do when confronted by a possessed stuffed animal?

Notes: All my canon info went out the door. I have no idea what happened to the part of my brain that was supposed to retain the information. It probably died when I had to pull three all-nighters in a row earlier this week… That being said, I was still brain-dead while writing…

* * *

_It isn't uncommon for an office to lose a few folders at least once._

_Here are a few of the cases that the SPR has come across that will forever remain…_

**Unaccounted For**

FILE 2

"Ghost?! Where?!" #2

By Hikagi

* * *

There was something not altogether _right_ with this abandoned park. Mai couldn't quite put her finger on it because that dratted dream-intuition of hers was being unhelpfully useless at the moment. Instead, she was forced to rely on her other senses that weren't directly connected to paranormal phenomenon. Looking around, however, didn't produce any results that she had not come up with already.

The place looked almost normal. At least, for a place that hadn't been used in so many months. Mai hadn't exactly known _what_ to expect when she had first arrived in Tomoeda (or its park), but…this wasn't it.

The rides had all been shut down, the food stands had been cleared out, the small game booths had been put away, the vendor stalls had been carted off to the side…

It was then that she noticed something unusual.

"Naru," Mai called as she unloaded the last box from the van. "Are you sure this place is abandoned?"

Surprisingly, Naru was nowhere to be found within the room they had claimed to be their "base". Upon seeing her surprise, Lin offhandedly pointed in a direction.

"He went off to do some scouting already."

She placed the box down next to the others and began taking its contents out. "Oh."

Lin's focus went back to his laptop. "As for your earlier question, our sources state that no one has set foot in Tomoeda Yuen since the Nadeshiko Festival last year. What instruments we have already set up are not picking up anything unusual at the moment."

"That's funny," Mai mumbled. "This place doesn't _feel_ like an abandoned park."

The steady sound of clacking on the keyboard stopped as Lin turned around with a frown marring his forehead. Everyone in SPR knew by now to pay at least_ some_ attention to Mai and her thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

Mai fidgeted. "Um… It's just…" A few seconds passed by as she tried to come up with the appropriate words. "Don't you think this place is too _clean_?"

* * *

Now that she had made some part of her suspicions known, it seemed as if everything was becoming that much clearer. All the little details she had failed to see before were now jumping out at her, demanding to be noticed and observed. It was almost as if whatever was supposedly haunting the park was trying to catch their attention, or hold their curiosity in some manner. For instance…

There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere to be seen. Or at least, on the benches, chairs, tables, metal railings and such located throughout the area. It was unnatural.

All of the flowers in the entire park were blue – even the ones that weren't _supposed_ to be that color. And come to think of it, a lot of the plants and objects had a strange almost-bluish hue to them as well.

She hadn't seen even a hint that animals inhabited the park. No birds, squirrels, cats – nothing. Not even bugs. Mai didn't know what to make of that.

The air felt charged with a sense of…_heaviness_ – for lack of a better term – around certain areas. It was noticeably harder to breathe near the amphitheater, Ferris Wheel, Fun House, and the tower. Mai knew it wasn't the weather or physical exertion that made her feel this way. There were instances when she felt that breathing in this slightly static-y, heavy air would result in her lungs collapsing from too much stress. But the instruments seemed fine, so she didn't know what made her feel this way.

There were also glaring potholes in the ground. She saw most of these from the corner of her eyes, especially when she was focusing on gathering data from the various instruments they had set up. But whenever Mai turned to look, the ground was as stable as ever. Once, she worked up the nerve to touch a cemented area that had been mistaken for a large hole in the ground. It had been solid until she blinked – for that split second, her fingers had grasped nothing but air and the sensation of _nothingness_ sent shivers up her spine.

Mai didn't try that again.

* * *

For the longest time, she had been getting a strange feeling that she was being watched. It made her more restless than before because there were a million other things grating on her nerves by this point.

Understandably, Mai was startled when her concentration was broken by the rustling of a nearby bush. After getting her heart to settle down, she was struck by a sudden bout of curiosity.

Surely, it couldn't_ hurt_ to see what had made that noise, right?

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice was whispering that it was a Bad Idea to let her adventurous side loose in a place that was rumored to be haunted. In almost all the other cases, there had been incidences where she had wandered away too far and had gotten someone (herself or others) hurt. Like when she had accidentally dragged Naru into the sewer. Or that time when she had knocked over the camera. What about that game of "hide and seek" people told her about after the incident was over? Or upsetting the possessed doll and very nearly getting herself killed?

Her brain was trying to tell her something. Such as "Things Go Wrong When You Go Looking To Sate Your Curiosity" and "Stay Put" or "You Are a Trouble Magnet, So Don't You Dare Go Off Without Someone There to Save Your Sorry Behind". And besides, what if that noise had been caused by a poltergeist?

Common sense (or the application of it) had never been Mai's strongest point. Therefore she was nearly on top of the bush before she knew it. This was when the rest of her brain finally decided to catch up to her, and she hesitated.

What if there was something _unpleasant_ in the bushes? Could she defend herself against whatever she might find with what little exorcism she picked up from the others?

Bracing herself for the worst, Mai slowly peeled back the branches and tried to see what was hidden midst the twigs and leaves. She was almost surprised when they revealed a small, fox-like animal scratching its ears.

Her first thought was,_'Oh. How cute!'_ The next was, _'Odd, this is the first creature I've seen today.'_

It blinked up at her, and for a second, she was afraid that it might dart off into another bush. But half a minute passed and the creature didn't seem inclined to move away. During that time, she got to take a closer look at it and noticed that there was something familiar about it.

Oh yes. Funnily enough, even this fox-thing's fur was bluish.

Meanwhile, the animal didn't do anything except to start grooming its fur. Mai took this as a sign and stepped closer, taking care not to make sudden movements. There was something around its neck, and she immediately recognized it as a collar of sorts.

Well, no wonder it wasn't that adverse to her presence.

"Are you lost, kitty?" she asked, unsure of what to call it. "Kitty" seemed more appropriate than "Fox" at the moment, and even then, only by a marginal amount – it didn't look _that_ much like a real fox. After all, what if there really was a breed of cat that looked more fox-like than the others? Never mind the fact that foxes were of the Canidae family and cats were of the Felidae family…

Suddenly very conscious of the idea that this animal might be more dog-like than she had first anticipated, Mai drew her hand into a fist and held it out for the creature. It looked up again and sniffed her offered hand, flicking its ears out of curiosity. Mai carefully reached out and picked the animal up, smiling when it allowed her to do so and didn't struggle out of her hands.

"Here," she said as she stood up and started walking back to their base. "Let's see if we can find your owner. I hope Naru doesn't mind that I brought you along."

Mai paused and looked down at the creature in her arms. "And I can't keep calling you 'you' either," she said as she looked at the name tag on its collar. "'Dash.' How cute. Do you run very fast?"

Her newest charge didn't answer and instead, started settling down.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

Author's Notes:

My brain has decided to run off to the mountains and leave me alone to fend for myself against the plunnies. Unfortunately, Inspiration went away as well, so I was unable to write anything for quite some time. I apologize for the delays.

I just realized that I haven't even gotten to why I wanted to cross CCS and Ghost Hunt over. Or, for that matter, I haven't even touched upon what I wanted to have happen. _Argh!_

_Yatsuka Hikagi_

_September 05, 2007_


	4. Spiritblind

Teaser: Hara Masako is famous because _other people_ are convinced that she can see "ghosts". They don't understand that it is not an ability she can choose to ignore, especially when she encounters what looks to be a possessed person in a local park.

Notes: Let me just tell you now, that I'm not at all an expert when it comes to the paranormal. So bear with me if/when I make mistakes. That, and it's been a while since I've watched or read either series. I'm _really_ rusty on the characterizations.

For some reason, I've been writing in the present tense lately. Don't know why.

* * *

_It isn't uncommon for an office to lose a few folders at least once. _

_Here are a few of the cases that the SPR has come across that will forever remain… _

**Unaccounted For**

FILE 3

"Spirit-blind"

By Hikagi

* * *

Hara Masako is famous because _other people_ are convinced that she can see ghosts; many of these people think she is a child wonder because of this ability. Incidentally, a large majority of them are a bit mystified and have no actual knowledge of her powers, or what exactly she is capable of.

Either way, Hara Masako has the ability to see spirits. She has been aware of this for a very long time, and doesn't need the encouragement from outside sources to confirm what she already knows as fact. It is an ability that very few individuals possess, and as such, has marked her as "different" from an early age. It is an ability that she cannot choose to ignore at a mere whim, or simply because she doesn't _want_ to See.

However, the others do not understand the distinction between a "spirit" and a "ghost", and she feels little need to educate them if they insist on remaining ignorant of the spirit world. (Sometimes, though, she thinks that those people are extremely fortunate to not be aware of the terrible things that occur. They are incapable of seeing anything supernatural or paranormal, much like how a colorblind person cannot distinguish certain frequencies in the visible spectrum. …But then again, humans do terrible acts as well, and she is somewhat morbidly comforted and slightly ill at how human – and sometimes, _inhuman_, in both senses of the word – nature carries on even after the body dies.) Agencies have, during the beginning stages of her career, tried to contact her in hopes of seeing her perform an exorcism or two.

Masako does not have the power to exorcise spirits. That is not within her range of abilities. Her expertise lies within detecting and sensing the supernatural and, occasionally, even channeling or communicating with them as a medium. The agencies – after quite a few explanations and or refused requests – have gotten the hint, and have made the appropriate changes from then on.

(Every once in a while, however, Masako gets a call from an ignorant party who makes such a ridiculous offer, that she has to try very hard not to laugh at the poor fool. Instead, she calmly hands the phone to either her parents or one of her managers, and smiles darkly – something which looks almost out of character in comparison to her normally composed expressions – because she knows that that particular person won't ever call for her services again without doing the appropriate research first.)

Most of her clients ask for her because her sensitivity is rumored to be unparalleled by anyone else in the region. Masako is somewhat flattered by this notion, because she knows that there are many others in her profession, and a number of them are quite famous as well. That, and she does not think that her age makes her exceptional. She is grateful that none of her colleagues take the media's praise the wrong way, or look down upon her because she is young or – compared to the mediums who have been around for decades – inexperienced.

Recently, she has become more involved with "Shibuya Kazuya's" agency, and her father has made more than one passing remark at this occurrence. Masako thinks it is a bit ironic, because she and "Shibuya-san" have nothing more than a business relationship going on, despite how others might perceive it. That, and perhaps, a sort of comradeship from the traumatic cases they have encountered together. She knows that she is attracted to his person, but also knows that it is not _love_ that she is feeling. Crush, perhaps? A slight infatuation? What ever it may be, she acknowledges the emotion, but does not allow it to _completely_ warp her behavior; she has her dignity, after all. "Shibuya-san" does not see her that way, and hardly appreciates the over-exaggerated motions that go along with signs of affection.

But, in the end, she keeps chasing after Naru because it is incredibly… (satisfying? Exhilarating?)… _amusing_ to see Mai so worked up about the whole issue. It brings her some level of comfort that despite her qualities that set her apart from others, she still has the ability to partake in normal human interactions. And though she tells herself otherwise, she also finds that her falsified feelings of interest and jealousy are becoming easier to imitate with each gesture. She's not sure what this means, but she keeps insisting that she dislikes how Mai keeps treating a person of Naru's caliber so casually. In a way, this vying for attention makes Mai somewhat like the older sister she does not have.

However, her cases involving the SPR are few and far between. She has many obligations to appear on television or at fancy dinner parties, so Masako looks forward to the days when she is in the company of her… colleagues? No, that is not the word she is looking for. They are colleagues in the sense that they collaborate, but they are also much more than that. "Business associates" does not do the SPR (and the others) enough justice either. Friends? That might be what she is trying to describe, but the word "friend" is almost too personal for the camaraderie that they have going on.

… Camaraderie. _Comrades_. Yes, that will do for now. Although it carries a negative connotation in certain environments, she thinks that it describes the sense of relationship she is experiencing in a suitable manner.

* * *

Masako hardly gets any "off days", but when she does so (and usually they happen to fall on Sundays), she likes to visit parts of Tokyo and roam around, pretending that she is just another normal girl out for a stroll. She hardly ever succeeds, because more often than not, she sees fluctuating auras, wandering spirits, lost souls (the ones of children bring her the most pain), and malevolent beings – all reminders of how _un_-normal she really is, and how she will never quite fit in with the rest of society.

So, one day when she goes for her almost routine Sunday-morning walk, she is unsurprised to see what – at first glance – looks to be a possessed person. Masako slows down to observe the occurrence more closely, because there is something about the woman that seems unusual – aside from the whole "being possessed" aspect. The lady has many physical attributes of a foreigner, but her hair could have just as easily been dyed in accordance to the modern trend. She is also very tall.

What confuses Masako the most is that her style of clothing is very boyish, despite her long hair. And then, the woman turns around, and Masako realizes that she is quite mistaken.

(A _he_, not a _she_.)

But this does not surprise her as much as she might have expected. No, what catches her attention is the fact that he turns around and immediately meets her gaze, almost as if he has sensed her looking at him from the very start. When he does so, she sees a figure overlapping his face (or is it slightly behind?) and the possessed man almost looks like two different people.

But then he blinks, and the secondary figure is gone, leaving behind only a young man with long, foreign-colored hair.

"Can I help you?" he asks.

Masako stares just a little bit longer, before shaking her head and hurriedly turning around, briskly walking home without saying a word in reply.

Later, she tells herself that it is because she had not wanted to stay near a possessed person without someone who is capable of performing an exorcism (not that this has ever troubled her before). There is something about the spirit that bothers her, because it does not quite feel malevolent (or benevolent either), but it is undoubtedly very old and powerful.

And cunning.

* * *

The next week, she avoids that particular park.

The week after that, she is with the SPR, on another one of their cases.

The following week, she has the Sunday morning off, so she automatically (having forgotten about the man in light of recent events until it is too late to turn back) makes her way to the usual park. She doesn't encounter the possessed man, and she doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Some part of her is curious and worried, because she recalls that the man's _ki_ has felt as if it has been possessed for a very long time. If so, why has no one noticed yet? And how is this spirit able to keep control for so long, without damaging the host's body?

It seems to be an almost impossible situation.

(She wants to find out more.)

* * *

Masako gets her wish when, the following Sunday, she spots the young man standing across the park, talking to a few others. Not wanting to intrude, she sits down on a nearby bench and discreetly observes from far away.

From what she can tell, it does not seem as if the spirit is actively harmful to its host. And so far, it is doing an excellent job of remaining undiscovered.

That in itself is extraordinary, because she remembers that she has felt an almost animalistic quality the first time she has noticed the possessed man. How powerful is this spirit, that even not being human in nature has not hindered its ability to remain unnoticed?

Before long, however, her object of interest leaves, and Masako heads back home.

* * *

By a strange series of coincidences, Masako finds herself visiting the park every Sunday morning; oddly enough, no one has booked appointments during that time slot for the next four or five weeks. Even stranger yet, that same possessed man is there too – once with an older woman who acts like his mother, another time with a young boy who calls him "Nii-chan," once with a group of other boys, and once with the same boys plus a few girls.

The week afterwards, he is alone, and Masako is almost startled when he approaches her bench.

"Good morning, Miss," he says, smiling. "I remember you from a while ago, and I've noticed that you've been coming here these past few weeks."

Masako nods, a little wary. The stranger is a little too close for her comfort, but she also does not want to offend the spirit possessing him. But considering the nature of this particular spirit, she also knows that he would not have approached her without a reason.

"What is a young lady such as yourself doing alone here?"

Masako is unsurprised that despite her careful observations and the pains she had taken to stay a great distance away, the spirit has managed to notice her anyway.

"And, nonetheless," he continues, "one that seems to have an unusual interest in my companions and I?"

Masako does not completely know how to proceed because she lacks the knowledge of skillfully surviving a direct confrontation with a possessed person who seems to be very much… in control? (She pushes that thought away to the back of her mind, and vows to ponder about this situation. Later. And preferably with many resources. And help. Right now, she needs to come up with something to say before her mind blanks even further.)

"My apologies, _kitsune-san_," she says, bowing deeply. She notices that he has stiffened at her greeting, but whether it is because her formal manner has surprised him, or at the title she has called him by, she is unsure. "I mean you no harm."

He looks at her for another moment or two in contemplation, before shrugging. "Is that so? Would you care to tell me what caught your interest? I am quite curious, and my friends have been placing wagers the other day."

Masako hesitates, because this possessed man is acting anything _but_, and she doesn't know how to carry on from here. In fact, this experience is completely new to her, and her mind is going in every which direction because of her uncertainty.

"Come, come," he says, smiling. "Don't be shy – I don't bite. Although, if you're looking for a date, I'm afraid that I might be much too old for you."

She blinks, not quite understanding where that last statement has come from.

He realizes this, and dismisses it with a wave of his hand. "Ah, never mind. That was a poor attempt at a joke."

She answers him with silence, knowing that sometimes no answer is better than one that might potentially be insulting. He sighs, and gestures to one of the many paths, and she obliges, following his lead.

"So…" He makes sure that she isn't too far behind, before continuing on. "I'm still curious."

Masako takes a few minutes to ponder her response, carefully choosing her words. They pass by a number of trees and park benches. "I was… intrigued by the manner in which you are… residing in that body."

"Oh?" He quirks his eyebrows in a manner that makes him look somewhat surprised.

"I can," she hesitates a little, stumbling on her words. "I mean, I have a sensitivity concerning... spirits and supernatural beings."

"Ah," he says, "just like one of my friends."

They stop walking, and they observe each other for a little longer. "You seem to hold a great capacity for sensing and perception, but I doubt that you can focus your _ki_ into projecting and performing exorcisms, am I correct?"

She nods. "I lack the power to do so." Then a bit hesitantly, "If I may ask a question?"

He smiles again. She feels that he is merely indulging her because his curiosity as a _kitsune_ (or at least, because he is somehow connected to _kitsune_) is spurring him on. "Go ahead."

"What are your intentions?"

He takes a few moments, possibly also choosing his words carefully. "Actually, I've been in control of this body since before it was born. But I can assure you, young Miss, that I am not going to hurt anyone."

There is a shout from far away, and the man turns towards the source. "Excuse me," he says in apology, "but I believe my friends are calling."

She bows again, out of respect and caution. "I wish you well, _kitsune-san_."

"Please," he says, looking as if he is embarrassed by either her use of the title, the bow, or (once again) possibly both, "call me Shuuichi. Minamino Shuuichi. I am a high school student."

"Hara Masako," she returns. "Spirit medium."

(She has a feeling that neither of them would be forgetting each other's name or face any time soon.)

His lips quirk upward, as if amused in some way. "I should introduce you to Master Genkai one of these days."

She recognizes the name. Genkai is quite an impressive figure, although he (or she) is not quite in her line of work. "Ah. That would be… an interesting meeting."

"Yes. It would." He glances in the direction the voices. "I really should be going. Have a nice day."

"To you as well."

Minamino turns around to leave. Just before he is out of hearing range, he says, "Perhaps we shall see each other again."

(Somehow, she does not dismiss the idea. People involved with spirits live in a small world, after all.)

"Perhaps."

And then, much like an illusive figure in the midst of concealing shadows, he is gone.

(Gone, but not for forever.)

Masako walks away in the opposite direction.

_Fin._

* * *

Author's Notes:

Wow. First time writing for Yu Yu Hakusho, so I wasn't sure how to write any of the characters. Perhaps I'll become more comfortable as I try again. (cough) This piece was _meant_ to be a one-shot, but I might be inclined to write future YYH/Ghost Hunt stories – it wasn't substantial enough for me to work out a multi-chapter "series".

The biggest problem I had was that halfway into this chapter, I had to remind myself that I was including YYH, not xxxHOLiC. "Bad Ika! Wrong fandom!" DX

And I just realized that perhaps my version of Masako doesn't strictly comply with the anime… Whoops.

I had trouble coming up with a suitable title for this chapter. "I Spy With Mine Blind Eyes" was one of the possibilities that came up. In the end, I settled for "Spirit-blind" because of the colorblind association in the beginning.

--

Omake:

"Yo, Kurama. So, what _did_ that girl want?"

"Surprisingly enough, she recognized me as being a _kitsune_."

"Eh? No way!"

"It seems that I've run across quite an interesting character. She doesn't have the ability to manipulate _ki_, but she has an incredible sensitivity towards spirits. She called herself a medium, so I think it's safe to say that that is the only thing she can do."

"Huh. Imagine that."

There was a moment of silence.

"Pay up, Yuusuke."

"What!? Wait! Why me?"

"You lost the bet. She wasn't a fangirl."

_Yatsuka Hikagi_

_September 18, 2008_


End file.
